--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Actions are the doors and windows of…" description: "\"Actions are the doors and windows of being. Unless we act, we have no way of knowing what we are.\" — Thomas Merton" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/thomas-merton-231_action_actions-are-the-doors-and-windows-of-bei_1396394.jpg" --- # Actions are the doors and windows of being. Unless we act… ![“Actions are the doors and windows of being. Unless we act, we have no way of knowing what we are.” quote by Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/thomas-merton-231_action_actions-are-the-doors-and-windows-of-bei_1396394.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/thomas-merton-231_action_actions-are-the-doors-and-windows-of-bei_1396394.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/028/thomas-merton-231_action_actions-are-the-doors-and-windows-of-bei_1396394.jpg) > “Actions are the doors and windows of being. Unless we act, we have no way of knowing what we are.” [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Action reveals identity; without acting, we cannot discover who we truly are. **In simple terms:** Acting defines us. Key Takeaway Take action to learn yourself. Themes identity action self-discovery existence purpose Mood introspective motivational Type philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - career choices - creative projects - personal growth - spiritual practice Key Concepts existentialism psychology philosophy self-development Questions to Reflect On - What does your current action say about you? - How can you act to explore unknown aspects of yourself? A Different Perspective Inaction may also teach, but less directly. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Action](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/action/) [Actions](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/actions/) ## Related quotes > [You don't deploy forces into harm's way without knowing what's going on,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/you-don-t-deploy-forces-into-harm-s-way-without-knowing-what-s-going/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Oh, this is the end of everything that I've known No way of knowing if I'll ever be home I don't ever wanna be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/angel-eyes/oh-this-is-the-end-of-everything-that-i-ve-known-no-way-of-knowing-if/) Angel\_eyes > [Perhaps knowing one place intimately is to have a way of knowing all places.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-mabey/perhaps-knowing-one-place-intimately-is-to-have-a-way-of-knowing-all/) [Richard Mabey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-mabey/) > [There is no way of knowing if a film is going to be good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rebecca-hall/there-is-no-way-of-knowing-if-a-film-is-going-to-be-good/) [Rebecca Hall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rebecca-hall/) > [“...lose your mind so that you can gain a new way of knowing.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-lynn-payne/lose-your-mind-so-that-you-can-gain-a-new-way-of-knowing/) [Holly Lynn Payne](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-lynn-payne/) > [“Intuition is not a single way of knowing - it's our ability to hold space for uncertainty and our willingness to trust the many…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bren-brown/intuition-is-not-a-single-way-of-knowing-it-s-our-ability-to-hold/) [Brené Brown](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bren-brown/) > [Working together is a way of knowing each other better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/additi-gupta/working-together-is-a-way-of-knowing-each-other-better/) Additi Gupta > [“her on the train all the way to Billings. 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Tolan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephanie-s-tolan/) > [My religion is no way of knowing me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeet-thayil/my-religion-is-no-way-of-knowing-me/) [Jeet Thayil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeet-thayil/) > [“But this was one way of knowing people, she thought: to know the outline, not the detail, to sit in one's garden and look…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/virginia-woolf/but-this-was-one-way-of-knowing-people-she-thought-to-know-the/) [Virginia Woolf](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/virginia-woolf/) > [“There's no way of knowing that your last good day is your Last Good Day.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-green/there-s-no-way-of-knowing-that-your-last-good-day-is-your-last-good-2/) [John Green](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-green/) > [The sure way of knowing nothing about life is to try to make oneself useful.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oscar-wilde/the-sure-way-of-knowing-nothing-about-life-is-to-try-to-make-oneself/) [Oscar Wilde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oscar-wilde/) > [The child has no way of knowing what's good information.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-dawkins/the-child-has-no-way-of-knowing-what-s-good-information/) [Richard Dawkins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-dawkins/) > [The power to guess the unseen from the seen, to trace the implication of things, to judge the whole piece by the pattern, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-james/the-power-to-guess-the-unseen-from-the-seen-to-trace-the-implication/) [Henry James](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-james/) ## More by Thomas Merton > [“Let no one hope to find in contemplation an escape from conflict, from anguish or from doubt. 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The first is decide exactly what you want - set your goals - and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brian-tracy/i-always-say-there-are-two-things-to-be-successful-the-first-is/) [Brian Tracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brian-tracy/) > [You'd be surprised how hard it can often be to translate an action into an idea.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karl-kraus/you-d-be-surprised-how-hard-it-can-often-be-to-translate-an-action/) [Karl Kraus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karl-kraus/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [Nothing is so powerful as an insight into human nature... what compulsions drive a man, what instincts dominate his action. If you know these…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-bernbach/nothing-is-so-powerful-as-an-insight-into-human-nature-what/) [William Bernbach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-bernbach/) > [Every thought I have imprisioned in expression I must free by my deeds](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kahlil-gibran/every-thought-i-have-imprisioned-in-expression-i-must-free-by-my-deeds/) [Kahlil Gibran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kahlil-gibran/) > [It took me 20 years to buy an electric typewriter, because I was afraid it would be too sensitive. I like to bang the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elmore-leonard/it-took-me-20-years-to-buy-an-electric-typewriter-because-i-was/) [Elmore Leonard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elmore-leonard/) > [Every action that helps us manifest our divine nature more and more is good; every action that retards it is evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/swami-vivekananda/every-action-that-helps-us-manifest-our-divine-nature-more-and-more/) [Swami Vivekananda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/swami-vivekananda/) > [As you begin changing your thinking, start immediately to change your behaviour. Begin to act the part of the person you would like to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/as-you-begin-changing-your-thinking-start-immediately-to-change-your/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [It's easy to say, let's go in and get the bad guys. But you have a divided country of Sunnis and Shias. The United…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tulsi-gabbard/it-s-easy-to-say-let-s-go-in-and-get-the-bad-guys-but-you-have-a/) [Tulsi Gabbard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tulsi-gabbard/) > [For comedy action, I must know the language.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sammo-hung/for-comedy-action-i-must-know-the-language/) [Sammo Hung](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sammo-hung/) > [Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-jefferson/believing-with-you-that-religion-is-a-matter-which-lies-solely/) [Thomas Jefferson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-jefferson/) > [“Action is a powerful thing. When you smile through your sadness, it can completely change your outlook. Try it! Smile :) Now hold onto…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leticia-rae/action-is-a-powerful-thing-when-you-smile-through-your-sadness-it-can/) [Leticia Rae](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leticia-rae/) > [I reject criticism because the last thing I wanted was to sit there and look at people talking. 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